Breakthrough in Alzheimer's research: preventing neurodegeneration
October 13, 2013 at 10:07 pm
(This post was last modified: October 13, 2013 at 10:10 pm by pineapplebunnybounce.)
This came up in my feed, thought I'd share as neurodegenerative disease affects a lot of us and our families, personally Alzheimer's runs in my family. It's not just alzheimer's, it's sounding like this would have an effect on other neurodegenerative diseases as well, so I guess dementia, huntington's, etc. etc. So far the side effect is damage to pancreas which results in diabetes. But it's very early stages, this isn't even the compound they'll use for a drug when they do drug development, so it's still great news!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24462699
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24462699
Quote:The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed mice with prion disease developed severe memory and movement problems. They died within 12 weeks.
However, those given the compound showed no sign of brain tissue wasting away.
Lead researcher Prof Giovanna Mallucci told the BBC news website: "They were absolutely fine, it was extraordinary.
"What's really exciting is a compound has completely prevented neurodegeneration and that's a first.
"This isn't the compound you would use in people, but it means we can do it and it's a start."
She said the compound offered a "new pathway that may well give protective drugs" and the next step was for drug companies to develop a medicine for use in humans.
